Vegan Soda Bread With Pumpkin Seeds

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Written by McDonald, T.  |  Updated 10th of March 2025.

Soda bread is a favourite of mine.  I like to have it regularly because it's so quick and easy to make. Furthermore, it's a simple job to increase the nutrition if you want, which is what I'm doing with this recipe. Adding the seeds really increases the nutritional value of this Irish bread, and since next Monday is St Patrick's Day, why not get the ingredients this week and be ready to make it for St Partick's Day!

Notes

  • A silicon baking sheet is perfect for this bread. 

  • You can soak the seeds beforehand for an hour. Some people believe it makes them easier to digest.

  • Use a good quality baking try because a cheap one will likely buckle in the oven, changing the shape of the bread.

  • The bread is at 86% hydration

500g of flour x 0.86 = 430 ml
I will use 400 ml water plus 30 ml white vinegar = 430 ml

Preparation time:  10 – 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 – 40 minutes  

Total time: 1 hour or less

 12 – 14 servings. 


Ingredients

  • 250 g self-raising or plain white flour
  • 250 g strong wholemeal bread flour 
  • 30 ml of white vinegar 
  • 400 ml of water 
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 6 g of salt
  • 40 g of pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp of hempseeds 

Apparatus 

  • Baking try
  • Wooden spoon or Danish whisk
  • Dough scraper
  • Mixing bowl
  • Scales
  • Measuring jug
  • Measuring spoons
  • Silicon baking sheet

 

Method

  1. Put the white and wholemeal flours, bicarbonate of soda, seeds, and salt into a bowl and stir with a whisk. 

  2. Pour the water and vinegar into the bowl and stir to make a dough.  Use a big wooden spoon or a Danish whisk to mix the dough together, and spend some time on this until you are sure everything is combined equally.   Finish the mixing with your hands; this is the closest you will get to kneading it. I find it helps to wt my hand or use a little oil on them to stop the dough from sticking to them. Cover and leave to rest for 30 mins to allow the bicarbonate of soda to work, and it will make the dough easier to handle.

  3. Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C (fan assisted ovens).  

  4. Tip the dough onto a floured board and shape.  Don't try to knead it, or you will just get in a sticky mess.   Just roll it in the flour on the board and by using your hands and a dough scraper to mould it into a ball-ish shape or bloomer.  Cut a cross into the top if you went for the ball shape, it's a tradition.

  5. Bake for 35–40 minutes at 200 °C on the upper middle shelf.

  6. When time is up, check with a thermometer (anything over 95 °C should be fine) or if using a cake tester, the tester should come out clean.  In either case, the bottom should sound hollow when you tap it.  Allow to cool on a cooling rack for about an hour.

Irish vegan Soda Bread dough dusted in flour on a wooden chopping board
Dough.
Irish vegan Soda Bread dough shaped ballish and on a wooden chopping board
Shape so it looks ball-ish.

Irish vegan Soda Bread dough with a cross cut in on a metel baking sheet
Cut a cross into the top to make it more traditional.

Results




I hope you decide to give this a try.  Please like, share with your friends and subscribe.  


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